1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shutter employed in a process cartridge and to a process cartridge.
The above-mentioned process cartridge integrally includes charging means, developing means or cleaning means, and an electrophotographic photosensitive drum integrated into a cartridge and is detachably mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Otherwise the process cartridge integrally includes at least one of the cartridge means, developing and cleaning means, and the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and is detachably mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Otherwise it includes the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and is detachably mounted on the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus is designed to form an image on a recording medium by an electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of such apparatus include an electrophotographic copying apparatus, an electrophotographic printer (such as an LED printer or a laser beam printer), an electrophotographic facsimile apparatus, and an electrophotographic word processor.
2. Related Background Art
In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus employing the electrophotographic image forming process, there is conventionally employed a process cartridge system in which the electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means, acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, are formed as an integral cartridge, which is detachably mounted in the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Such process cartridge can significantly improve operability since the maintenance of the apparatus can be executed by the user himself, not requiring him to call for service personnel. For this reason, such process cartridge system is widely adopted in electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Such process cartridge may be singly taken out, for example in a replacing operation, from the main body of the apparatus. It is therefore necessary to protect the electrophotographic photosensitive member from the deposition of dust or the like and from damage.
For this reason, the process cartridge is often provided with a drum shutter as a protective member, for protecting the photosensitive drum and for light shielding of the interior of the process cartridge.
The present invention is designed to extend the prior technology.